AQA GCSE Religious Studies Paper 1 practice questions

What is on Paper 1?

• Paper 1 covers the study of religions: beliefs, teachings and practices.
• It is a written paper of 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 96 marks plus marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar — 50% of the GCSE.
• Each question builds from 1-mark recall up to a 12-mark evaluation.
• Always check the latest specification on your exam board's website, as details can change between exam years.

Paper 1 practice questions with answers

10 original questions across the 5 Paper 1 topics. Try each one before reading the answer.

1. Christianity: beliefs and teachings

   1. What does 'omnipotent' mean?

   • • All-loving
   • • All-powerful
   • • All-knowing
   • • Ever-present

   Answer: All-powerful

   Omnipotent means all-powerful, one of the traditional attributes of God.

2. Christianity: beliefs and teachings

   2. The Trinity refers to God as:

   • • Three separate gods
   • • Three persons in one God
   • • God and two angels
   • • The Father only

   Answer: Three persons in one God

   The Trinity is the belief in one God existing as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

3. Christianity: practices

   3. What is liturgical worship?

   • • Informal, spontaneous worship
   • • Worship following a fixed, structured order
   • • Worship done only at home
   • • Worship without any prayers

   Answer: Worship following a fixed, structured order

   Liturgical worship follows a set order of service, common in Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

4. Christianity: practices

   4. Which is an example of non-liturgical worship?

   • • A set Catholic Mass
   • • Informal, spontaneous prayer meetings
   • • A fixed Orthodox liturgy
   • • A scripted, unchanging service

   Answer: Informal, spontaneous prayer meetings

   Non-liturgical worship is less formally structured and often more spontaneous.

5. Islam: beliefs and teachings

   5. What does Tawhid mean?

   • • The Oneness of Allah
   • • The Five Pillars
   • • Pilgrimage to Makkah
   • • The holy book of Islam

   Answer: The Oneness of Allah

   Tawhid is the core Islamic belief that God is one and indivisible.

6. Islam: beliefs and teachings

   6. Give one reason Tawhid is important to Muslims.

   Answer: It shapes worship and daily life, e.g. Muslims direct worship only to Allah and reject any partners or equals to Him.

   Tawhid underpins Islamic identity and practice.

7. Islam: practices

   7. What are the Five Pillars core to?

   • • Sunni Islam
   • • Shi'a Islam only
   • • Christianity
   • • Judaism

   Answer: Sunni Islam

   The Five Pillars are the core practices of Sunni Islam.

8. Islam: practices

   8. What is the Shahadah?

   • • The declaration of faith
   • • The pilgrimage
   • • The fast
   • • The charity tax

   Answer: The declaration of faith

   Shahadah is reciting belief in one God and Muhammad as His messenger.

9. Sources of authority and answering RS exam questions

   9. Which of these is a sacred text?

   • • A newspaper
   • • The Bible
   • • A history textbook
   • • A dictionary

   Answer: The Bible

   The Bible is a sacred text considered authoritative by Christians.

10. Sources of authority and answering RS exam questions

    10. What is 'tradition' in a religious context?

    • • A new scientific theory
    • • Beliefs and practices passed down through generations
    • • A single person's private opinion
    • • A government law

    Answer: Beliefs and practices passed down through generations

    Tradition refers to inherited beliefs and practices within a faith community.

Where Paper 1 marks are usually lost

• Stating a belief without naming a source of authority or teaching to support it.
• Giving only one religious view when the question asks for contrasting views.
• Forgetting a clear, justified conclusion in the 12-mark evaluation answer.
• Describing practices without explaining why believers carry them out.
• Losing spelling, punctuation and grammar marks on the questions that award them.

How to pick up the extended-answer marks

• Underline the command word and the focus of the question before writing — most dropped marks come from answering a different question.
• Plan for one or two minutes: three or four points, each backed by evidence and explained.
• Keep linking back to the question in every paragraph, not just the conclusion.
• For 'evaluate' or 'how far do you agree' questions, weigh both sides and finish with a clear judgement.

Timing that works under pressure

• Check the marks per question and give each one time in proportion, keeping spare minutes for checking at the end.
• Bank the short questions first, then return to the longer answers with your remaining time.
• If a question stalls for more than two minutes, write down what you know and move on — partial marks still count.
• Leave five minutes to check spelling of key terms, units and whether any question part was skipped over a page break.

Revise each Paper 1 topic

• Christianity: beliefs and teachings (83 questions)
• Christianity: practices (70 questions)
• Islam: beliefs and teachings (83 questions)
• Islam: practices (70 questions)
• Sources of authority and answering RS exam questions (70 questions)

AQA Religious Studies Paper 1 FAQs

What topics are on AQA GCSE Religious Studies Paper 1?

Paper 1 assesses beliefs, teachings and practices of two religions, such as Christianity and Islam.

How long is AQA GCSE Religious Studies Paper 1?

It is a 1 hour 45 minutes written exam worth 96 marks plus marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar, which is 50% of the GCSE. Check your board's latest specification for any changes.

How should I revise for Religious Studies Paper 1?

Practise answering questions rather than rereading notes. Short daily sets of five questions per topic, marked straight away, expose weak areas faster than a long passive revision session.